ARLINGTON - Texas faces a growing shortage of highly skilled science and math teachers. A new UTeach Arlington program housed on The University of Texas at Arlington campus will begin helping area school districts meet that critical need next fall.

UTeach Arlington is being established through the generosity of the Texas Instruments Foundation and a seed grant of $625,000 awarded through the National Math and Science Initiative.

UTeach Arlington faculty and staff will recruit and offer a specialized certification to future teachers. The program will work closely with partner school districts in Arlington, Fort Worth, Hurst-Euless-Bedford and Mansfield to provide early and meaningful classroom experiences for UTeach Arlington teacher candidates and to mentor them once they have their own classroom. UTeach Arlington will build on the successes of the original collaboration, UTeach at UT Austin.

“Our University has been working to launch UTeach Arlington since late 2006, when we learned of the success our Austin colleagues were having in preparing math and science teachers through this program,” said Greg Hale, UT Arlington Assistant Dean of Science and principal investigator for UTeach Arlington.

“We have assembled a first-rate team of physics, mathematics and education faculty who are passionate about placing the best-equipped science and math teachers in our middle schools and high schools. They view this program as critical to preparing the next generation of teachers and as a key to student success in these critical fields.”

Co-directors of UTeach Arlington will be Ann Cavallo, professor of science education in the College of Education’s Curriculum and Instruction Department, and Ramon Lopez, professor of physics in the College of Science. Cavallo also is associate dean of teacher and professional education. UTeach Arlington will be located in Science Hall with dedicated space for student labs, a student lounge and other amenities.

UTeach Arlington will recruit master teachers and other staff beginning in January 2010 and begin offering scholarships, internships and stipends to qualifying undergraduates and graduate students next fall.

To learn more about UTeach Arlington, contact Greg Hale at 817-272-3491 or by e-mail at greg@hale.uta.edu.